Thursday, January 31, 2008

Luis Sanchez - Guilty verdict in child molestation case

Lawton_A Comanche County man was convicted Wednesday on charges of lewd molestation of a minor. Luis Sanchez was accused of molesting his stepdaughter in December, 2006. The state said Sanchez molested the young girl in his home multiple times. The jury deliberated just over two hours before returning the guilty verdict.

According to police reports, the alleged victim and her mother reported the allegations to authorities December 5, and a warrant issued for Sanchez's arrest. According to deputies, Sanchez barricaded himself in their Sterling home, and it was then that the TAC team shot bean bags and mace at him. He later surrendered.

The 15-year-old minor took the stand first. In her testimony, she claims that on December 2, 2006, Sanchez forced her to perform oral sex on him, and that her mother walked in on it. The minor's mother, who also testified Wednesday, corroborated the girl's story. Both mother and daughter claimed that after Sanchez was caught in the act, he pulled up his pants, threw up his hands, and "said he was sorry".

The alleged victim testified that she had been the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of Sanchez since she was eight-years-old.

The defense called their one and only witness to the stand - Luis Sanchez. The defendant testified that no sexual act of any kind occurred between him and his accuser. Sanchez testified that the minor child's mother told her to lie.

According to the prosecution, Sanchez kept a travel log to keep track of his day-to-day whereabouts while on the road. In it was an apology. It was written the day after he had been accused of molesting the girl. The prosecution wondered why Sanchez would have recorded an apology in that book. It would seem to be an admission of guilt since a warrant wasn't issued until two days after the alleged incident, when Sanchez barricaded himself in his home.

The jury recommended a ten-year prison term for Sanchez. The judge will issue the formal sentence in March.